This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art, which may be associated with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with information to facilitate a better understanding of particular techniques of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not necessarily as admissions of prior art.
The production of hydrocarbons, such as oil and gas, has been performed for numerous years. To produce these hydrocarbons, a production system may utilize various devices, such as sand control devices and other tools, for specific tasks within a well. Typically, these devices are placed into a wellbore completed in either cased-hole or open-hole completion. In cased-hole completions, wellbore casing is placed in the wellbore and perforations are made through the casing into subterranean formations to provide a flow path for formation fluids, such as hydrocarbons, into the wellbore. Alternatively, in open-hole completions, a production string is positioned inside the wellbore without wellbore casing. The formation fluids flow through the annulus between the subsurface formation and the production string to enter the production string.
When producing fluids from subterranean formations, especially poorly consolidated formations or formations weakened by increasing downhole stress due to wellbore excavation and fluids withdrawal, it is possible to produce solid material (for example, sand) along with the formation fluids. In some cases, formations may produce hydrocarbons without sand until the onset of water production from the formations. With the onset of water, these formations collapse or fail due to increased drag forces (water generally has higher viscosity than oil or gas) and/or dissolution of material holding sand grains together.
The sand/solids and water production typically results in a number of problems. These problems include productivity loss, equipment damage, and/or increased treating, handling and disposal costs. For example, the sand/solids production may plug or restrict flow paths resulting in reduced productivity. The sand/solids production may also cause severe erosion damaging equipment, which may create well control problems. When produced to the surface, the sand is removed from the flow stream and has to be disposed of properly, which increases the operating costs of the well. Water production also reduces productivity. For instance, because water is heavier than hydrocarbon fluids, it takes more pressure to move it up and out of the well. That is, the more water produced, the less pressure available to move the hydrocarbons, such as oil. In addition, water is corrosive and may cause severe equipment damage if not properly treated. Similar to the sand, the water also has to be removed from the flow stream and disposed of properly.
The sand/solids and water production may be further compounded with wells that have a number of different completion intervals and the formation strength may vary from interval to interval. Because the evaluation of formation strength is complicated, the ability to predict the timing of the onset of sand and/or water is limited. In many situations reservoirs are commingled to minimize investment risk and maximize economic benefit. In particular, wells having different intervals and marginal reserves may be commingled to reduce economic risk. One of the risks in these applications is that sand failure and/or water breakthrough in any one of the intervals threatens the remaining reserves in the other intervals of the completion.
While typical sand control, remote control technologies and interventions may be utilized, these approaches often drive the cost for marginal reserves beyond the economic limit. As such, a simple, lower cost alternative may be beneficial to lower the economic threshold for marginal reserves and to improve the economic return for certain larger reserve applications. Accordingly, the need exists for a well completion apparatus that provides a mechanism for managing the production of sand and water within a wellbore, while being able to maintain dimensional limitations.
Other related material may be found in at least U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,722,490; 6,125,932; 4,064,938; 5,355,949; 5,896,928; 6,622,794; 6,619,397; and International Patent Application No. PCT/US2004/01599. Further, additional information may also be found in Penberthy & Shaughnessy, SPE Monograph Series—“Sand Control”, ISBN 1-55563-041-3 (2002); Bennett et al., “Design Methodology for Selection of Horizontal Open-Hole Sand Control Completions Supported by Field Case Histories,” SPE 65140 (2000); Tiffin et al., “New Criteria for Gravel and Screen Selection for Sand Control,” SPE 39437 (1998); Wong G. K. et al., “Design, Execution, and Evaluation of Frac and Pack (F&P) Treatments in Unconsolidated Sand Formations in the Gulf of Mexico,” SPE 26563 (1993); T. M. V. Kaiser et al., “Inflow Analysis and Optimization of Slotted Liners,” SPE 80145 (2002); and Yula Tang et al., “Performance of Horizontal Wells Completed with Slotted Liners and Perforations,” SPE 65516 (2000).